1
as in jails
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
the ongoing debate whether drug users should go to prison
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in captivities
the act of confining or the state of being confined
the view that prison does nothing to cure the criminal—if anything, it makes him worse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prisons
His death comes shortly after a report from the chief inspector of prisons highlighted a sharp rise in violence at HMP Wakefield, according to the BBC.
—
Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2025
None of the comics who performed in Riyadh made a mention of the detainees in Saudi prisons.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2025
War would also mean no deliberate, orderly transfer of some 12,000 Islamic State detainees from Kurdish to Syrian state prisons.
—Hassan Hassan, Time, 11 Oct. 2025
She was found guilty in 1987 of Kelly’s first-degree murder and received two life sentences, becoming the youngest female ever incarcerated in the state’s prisons.
—Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
The Israeli Justice Ministry said 250 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli prisons, as well as about 1,700 people detained in Gaza since the war began, are set to be released as part of the deal.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Oct. 2025
Trump announced on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of the deal, in which all remaining hostages -- alive and dead -- will be released from Gaza in exchange for an as-yet undetermined number of Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2025
But the impact of the immigration law remains largely unknown because Alabama prisons don’t collect ethnicity data and therefore don’t know how many inmates are Hispanic.
—Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, 9 Oct. 2025
When Thompson left office, Wisconsin also led the nation in the number of inmates being held in prisons in other states.
—Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2025
None of the comics who performed in Riyadh made a mention of the detainees in Saudi prisons.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2025
War would also mean no deliberate, orderly transfer of some 12,000 Islamic State detainees from Kurdish to Syrian state prisons.
—Hassan Hassan, Time, 11 Oct. 2025
She was found guilty in 1987 of Kelly’s first-degree murder and received two life sentences, becoming the youngest female ever incarcerated in the state’s prisons.
—Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
The Israeli Justice Ministry said 250 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli prisons, as well as about 1,700 people detained in Gaza since the war began, are set to be released as part of the deal.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Oct. 2025
Trump announced on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of the deal, in which all remaining hostages -- alive and dead -- will be released from Gaza in exchange for an as-yet undetermined number of Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2025
But the impact of the immigration law remains largely unknown because Alabama prisons don’t collect ethnicity data and therefore don’t know how many inmates are Hispanic.
—Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, 9 Oct. 2025
When Thompson left office, Wisconsin also led the nation in the number of inmates being held in prisons in other states.
—Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisons
Noun
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Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official and lead negotiator, said Thursday evening that all women and children held in Israeli jails will be freed.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
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In exchange, Israel will release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving their sentences in Israeli jails and another 1,700 who have been detained in Gaza, according to a BBC source in Gaza.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
After his conviction, Gray was sent to Angola, one of the most violent penitentiaries in the country at the time.—
Richard A. Webster,
ProPublica,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The incarcerations have been part of Bukele’s controversial efforts to stem the high crime rates and gang violence that have plagued the country for years.—
Michael Rios,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2025
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The Body Politic uplifts Baltimore’s relative success in decreasing the city’s homicide and violent crime rate while not increasing incarcerations or the rate of citizen-police interactions.—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes,
3 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Prisons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prisons. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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